The snow is only melting now, but registration will soon be frozen for the city's young baseball players.
The deadline is approaching fast for Prince George Youth Baseball signup. PGYBA registrar Amanda Langevin said the initial numbers are very strong - already more than their entire year's registration levels only five years ago - but with the extra February snow and some registration streamlining enacted this year by the association, she didn't want baseball families to be left out in the cold on March 31 when the final bell rings.
"We've made it really easy for people. You can do it 24 hours a day, and at this point it is online only," Langevin said. "It's a very simple form to fill out, you can do it on your home computer or your smartphone, but if you really run into trouble you can also call me at any time (PGYBA's cell is 250-552-6146) and I can walk you through it. We're happy to help, we're making it as simple as possible, but we don't want anyone to be disappointed that they missed the deadline."
Each age division has its own player limits, and some are reaching the maximum, but other brackets have plenty of room for signup. Blast Ball is the division for those aged five and younger, and it has ample room.
The two oldest categories, Bantam (13-14) and Midget (15-17), are also more open.
No experience is necessary to play House League baseball. Those who show more skills can advance to the various Rep Teams that travel out of town representing northern B.C.
In the past few years the PGYBA numbers have been rising, and this year so far indicates another strong community response for youth baseball. According to Langevin's registration data, there were 370 players in 2013, 372 in 2014, it jumped to 432 in 2015, jumped again in 2016 to 505, and yet again to 571 in 2017 which is about the maximum allowable amount based on the league's current access to baseball fields.
While the fortunes of the Toronto Blue Jays seem to play a role in Canada's overall baseball registration numbers, the Prince George signups were climbing before the Jays went on their playoff run and the strong numbers this year were in contrast to low results from the Blue Jays last season. Langevin said people seem to be remembering, after a lull to try other things, that baseball is a positive activity for the developing young people who play it and for the families who watch it.
"Part of my appreciation for it is because I see how much my kid loves it, but I also just love to be at the ballpark on a sunny afternoon watching the kids play, being around the other families, and all of us watching these players develop," she said.
"You get so much out of it, as a parent, when you see their skills and techniques developing, but baseball also does something good for them as people. It's unlike any other sport I know of in that way. And when you see them start to grasp the strategy and the athleticism - and let's be honest, the adults are always learning that too, even if you've been around it for years - it's really exciting."
The House League season begins when the City of Prince George gives the green light to use the fields after the spring melt. The season ends when the school year ends. For those who play on the Prince George Knights rep teams, the season carries on through the rest of summer.
Registration is active now at www.pgyba.com until the end of day on March 31. Registration fees range between $90-$200 depending on age bracket.
